ST. CROIX, Virgin Islands –
The West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) recently provided assistance to the Virgin Islands National Guard (VING) for their annual physical health assessments
(PHA), offering dental and hearing testing support.
Done annually, the VING PHA is meant to analyze and provide an accurate assessment of a soldier’s current health. With this analysis, guidance can then be given as to what each soldier’s specific needs are, and if they are medically ready for deployment.
A longtime partner of the VING, WVNG provided the necessary help to ensure that VING’s soldiers were mission ready.
“Being able to help the Virgin Islands National Guard accomplish the mission for medical readiness is the greatest achievement I think that the West Virginia National Guard has provided,” said Maj. Gerald Clark, a dentist with the WVNG's Medical Detachment.
An added benefit to the partnership between the VING and WVNG for PHAs was the hands-on experience to the West Virginia soldiers unaccustomed to the quick flow of soldiers coming through one or two particular stations on a constant basis.
“We get a lot done here,” said Spc. Amia Adkins, a dental technician with the West Virginia National Guard's Medical Detachment. “We see hundreds of patients and that’s not necessarily what we get to see in West Virginia all the time. It’s a faster pace so being here builds our individual skills along with group camaraderie.”
The other stations, led by VING administration, were behavioral health, electrocardiogram, military provider, vision, vitals, vaccinations and record review.
Approximately 262 soldiers are expected to go through PHA this year. Of that amount, 90 percent, or 235 soldiers, are projected to complete the assessments.